deen@romulus.rutgers.edu (Cinnamon Raisin) (03/28/91)
I would like to build my own 386 and would like some advice on what motherboards to look at or avoid. I know this question has been asked before, so if anyone has a summary they would like to post or mail me it would be greatly appreciated. Specifically, I am interested in a 33mhz 386 with 8 megs to be used as a windows development system. I will buy a drive mail order and a case at a local computer show. Everything else I need I already have(monitor,vga, modem, 3.5floppy ...) My current interest is in the Mylex(?) motherboard, I think it's what is used in the ZEOS 386-33. Anyone know of a good supplier? Any problems with this board? ...LATERness... -Z Raisin -- --- "May The Prezent Tenz Be With You." -The Super Amazin Cinnamon Raisin Deen@Romulus.Rutgers.Edu
deen@romulus.rutgers.edu (Cinnamon Raisin) (03/30/91)
After looking about a bit, I think I have found what I am looking for: AMI MARK IV motherboard-33mhz w/8 megs(70ns SIMMs) 64k Cache $1600. 100meg Conner IDE drive $439 The rest of the stuff is trivial( floppies, I/O, etc.) Does anyone have any comments on either of these components, or the combination. Anyone found better prices? Specifically I am worried about the drive. I don't have much experience with IDE drives, and I hope it won't be causeing a bottleneck on such a speedy system. I would have gone for an ESDI setup but that costs $$$$$ ;-< ...Tanx In Advanz... -Z Raisin PS. Thanks to everyone that responded to my earlier post. Your suggestions on where to look were very helpful. <Z> -- --- "May The Prezent Tenz Be With You." -The Super Amazin Cinnamon Raisin Deen@Romulus.Rutgers.Edu
phil@brahms.amd.com (Phil Ngai) (03/30/91)
In article <Mar.29.11.58.49.1991.17121@romulus.rutgers.edu> deen@romulus.rutgers.edu (Cinnamon Raisin) writes: | AMI MARK IV motherboard-33mhz w/8 megs(70ns SIMMs) | 64k Cache $1600. I thought motherboards were around $400. (of course, we get good prices on the 80386) Another $400 for 8 megs of memory and it looks like you're paying $800 for the 80386. Hey, I could probably scrape up an 80386 for you for only $750. :-) -- Gun control is elitist.
dyson@cbnewsk.att.com (john.s.dyson) (03/30/91)
In article <1991Mar30.011407.25722@amd.com>, phil@brahms.amd.com (Phil Ngai) writes: > In article <Mar.29.11.58.49.1991.17121@romulus.rutgers.edu> deen@romulus.rutgers.edu (Cinnamon Raisin) writes: > | AMI MARK IV motherboard-33mhz w/8 megs(70ns SIMMs) > | 64k Cache $1600. > > I thought motherboards were around $400. (of course, we get good prices > on the 80386) Another $400 for 8 megs of memory and it looks like > you're paying $800 for the 80386. > > Hey, I could probably scrape up an 80386 for you for only $750. :-) > I strongly suggest that one be very conservative in the selection of an AT/386 motherboard. The cost of a very good, tested, reliable motherboard (AMI, Mylex, etc) vs. a much less well known board possibly not tested with UNIX is only a small part of the cost of a system. I have seen numerous incompatibilities, from subtile keyboard interactions with UNIX to Windows 3.0 not working. I have built (or assisted in the selection of MB's) several systems and strongly believe that the AMI boards are of top quality. Spend a few hundred bucks more to get something that might give you quite a few less headaches. I do not want to debug someone elses BIOS bugs or put up with problems with software or hardware other than the ones that I create. John Dyson dyson@inuxy.att.com
ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nur Iskandar Taib) (03/31/91)
> AMI MARK IV motherboard-33mhz w/8 megs(70ns SIMMs) > 64k Cache $1600. ^^^^^ Bloody expensive. AMI can be considered a major brand, though. What chipset does it use? -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iskandar Taib | The only thing worse than Peach ala Internet: NTAIB@AQUA.UCS.INDIANA.EDU | Frog is Frog ala Peach Bitnet: NTAIB@IUBACS ! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------